The English Thread (Diskussion auf englisch)

[Der Schmied von Kochel]

Everybody is talking but nobody is doing it (better known as only talk - no action)! Therefore, here is your sensitive English thread for general discussions about all-day life and headlines of the day.

First of all, I'd like to mention something I recognized during my last visit in Germany. Compared to other countries worldwide, I believe that the bilingual (German/English) help isn't that present at all. In times like these I would expect more English in the German public. Transportation schedules, websites or simply better English skills of authorities. Especially in cosmopolitan cities such as Berlin, Hamburg or Munich, where you have huge crowds of tourists or foreign business men, a minimum of bilingual staff would be necessary. However, I don't talk about the butcher shop clerk or the supermarket cashier, I mean people in key positions as taxi drivers, police men or conductors.

Just to make this clear, I do not believe that this is an attack towards our culture heritage (or language heritage), it is just something about attitude. I can’t invite the world to study or work in Germany on one hand and on the other one I am not willing to do something for those people to guarantee an easier start here. Can someone explain to me, why we have bilingual signs in some parts of Brandenburg with “sorbisch” on it, a minority with a few thousand people? But an English bus schedule, you won’t find there…

Just for reference, in Singapore all public signs have English, Chinese, Tamil and Malay.

[Gilligan]

thanks for the thread. i wondered about the same thing. everybody was talking, nobody was doing.

first i have to say, that my english is bad, compared to others and compared to the past. school ist near 8 years ago, and i dont use it (english). especially in writing. but google will help me . i am better in reading than in writing. but it doesnt matter. perhaps this thread will help.

Just for reference, in Singapore all public signs have English, Chinese, Tamil and Malay.

many countrys are in this case many steps in front of us. but if the native (?) cannot speak propper english, why should there be more signs in english for tourists? (well, thats a bit selfish)
i think the education in using english in a normal day is not common enough. some countrys dont for example translate the spoken words in a film. they just have a subtitle, just to give one example. well ok, sometime and somewhere has to be startet.

ok i feel: to write and read in english in this thread could be fun.

[Der Schmied von Kochel]

ok i feel: to write and read in english in this thread could be fun.

And even better for you since you don't have to pay so much attention for caps...

[Gilligan]

And even better for you since you don't have to pay so much attention for caps...

yes! that was the thing which came right into my mind. but in english i dont use the ' - tings

[vieraeugigerZyklop]

This thread is a great idea...especially to practise
At my Workplace i use english a lot because next to the shop is our world famous university. Therefore we have many people from man countries. For example china or norway.
So we all have to try our best to explain everything in english. Sometimes it is hard because i dont know every english word.
Maybe i learn some words in this thread. Just one Question: can i ask the translation of a word in this thread? Is it allowed to speak german just to understand something?

[Cyanwasserstoff]

@Der Schmied von Kochel : Thanks for the thread. I know the problem , but germany is not the only state with that kind of problem. A few years ago I was in barcelona, old city and most of the people there (busdriver, hotel reception, shopman) cannot speak proper english. It was very hard to listen to them and to figure out what they tried to say.

My english is also far away from being perfect, but luckily I could practice it by talking from august 2008 to summer 2010. I lived in a study flat share with japanese, spanish, vietnamese,chinese people together who are not able to speak dutch or german. In the begin it was very hard but I improved my english very much by talking with my old home mates.

I am also a member of a english writing community, called MAL (myanimelist).

[Gilligan]

but germany is not the only state with that kind of problem. A few years ago I was in barcelona, old city and most of the people there (busdriver, hotel reception, shopman) cannot speak proper english.

yes i also made this experience in countrys of south europe 10 years ago. i thought it changed to a better level now.

in my youth i spend a lot of time in english or american chatrooms at the beginnen of the new millennium. to practice it, is was a good time. and also it was a chance to learn some sayings and so on.

can i ask the translation of a word in this thread? Is it allowed to speak german just to understand something?

well, for me there is no problem, what does the threadleader say? i use google if i dont know a word. but sometimes it gives me weird translations. or perhaps for me it seems like weird translations.

[vieraeugigerZyklop]

well, for me there is no problem, what does the threadleader say? i use google if i dont know a word. but sometimes it gives me weird translations. or perhaps for me it seems like weird translations.

Therefore it would be nice to ask here^^

[Cyanwasserstoff]

yes i also made this experience in countrys of south europe 10 years ago. i thought it changed to a better level now.

It was on 2007, so it is 6 years ago. It could have changed, I do not know.

in my youth i spend a lot of time in english or american chatrooms at the beginnen of the new millennium. to practice it, is was a good time. and also it was a chance to learn some sayings and so on.

You sounds like an old guy :P Are you really that old ? No, you are only 28 years old if the data on your profil will be right.

well, for me there is no problem, what does the threadleader say? i use google if i dont know a word. but sometimes it gives me weird translations. or perhaps for me it seems like weird translations.

I always use leo.org, that is a great translater website, but it only translate words and no sentences. But the google translater does not translate in the right grammar form.

[Der Schmied von Kochel]

I talked to a Dutch guy once and somehow we ended up discussing the good English skills of the Dutch compared to the Germans. His explanation we rather simple. In the Netherlands foreign movies are not translated what is why most of the movies in cinemas and on TV are in English with Dutch subtitles. Same for TV shows or series. He pointed out that there is just not enough demand to translate all the movies. A positive side effect is that all the kids already grow up with English TV, in my opinion a significant influence.

Therefore it would be nice to ask here^^

Shoot.

[Cyanwasserstoff]

In the Netherlands foreign movies are not translated what is why most of the movies in cinemas and on TV are in English with Dutch subtitles. Same for TV shows or series. He pointed out that there is just not enough demand to translate all the movies. A positive side effect is that all the kids already grow up with English TV, in my opinion a significant influence.

Very young children have the best abilities to learn. Thats why it has a huge effect when they already learn somewhat english. The older we get the less information we can keep in your head.

[Der Schmied von Kochel]

The older we get the less information we can keep in your head.

Jap, I can sign that. When I am thinking back how easy English was and see me now learning Chinese, ridiculous (and I'm only 33!)...

[Cyanwasserstoff]

Jap, I can sign that. When I am thinking back how easy English was and see me now learning Chinese, ridiculous (and I'm only 33!)...

I am learning Japanese and it is really hard to keep the Katakana signs and I am only 24 (25 in this sommer).

[vieraeugigerZyklop]

Shoot.

I think that means "Schieß los" (?)^^
I meant not now. Just asking for future words that will appear and which i do not know

Very young children have the best abilities to learn. Thats why it has a huge effect when they already learn somewhat english. The older we get the less information we can keep in your head.

Luckily its not difficult for me to learn english even if its not perfect.
One of the reasons are the Wrestling games in the 2000s. They were not translated into German.

[Der Schmied von Kochel]

I think that means "Schieß los" (?)^^

Yes, standard answer of Carry from King of Queens when you watch it in English. Kind of running gag.

[vieraeugigerZyklop]

Yes, standard answer of Carry from King of Queens when you watch it in English. Kind of running gag.

I think its also the same in german...but im not sure.

[Gilligan]

You sounds like an old guy :P Are you really that old ? No, you are only 28 years old if the data on your profil will be right.

yes yes u are right. i tend to exaggerate (here google helped), especially when i talk about my youth. but it feels like many years ago. the good old time u know...

But the google translater does not translate in the right grammar form.

yes. i see. often some trouble in the sentences i guess. leo.org i also used in the past. my english teacher told us to do, in school. but it was in a time, i think google wasnt that huge as it is today. and i dont know if google offered it. here the old man comes again .

A positive side effect is that all the kids already grow up with English TV, in my opinion a significant influence.

yes it is a real good influence i think.
a finnish exchange student visited our villiage, till now i cannot understand why she has chosen this f* boring villiage, when we were 15 and her english was much better then ours. she told the same as the dutch, same tv-thing in finland.

I think that means "Schieß los" (?)^^

i thought the Schmied (or better Smith) meant if you ask in german you will be not longer with us

[vieraeugigerZyklop]

yes yes u are right. i tend to exaggerate (here google helped), especially when i talk about my youth. but it feels like many years ago. the good old time u know...

Same here...im just 2 years younger than you and feel like an old guy ( almost writed gay XD ) when i talk about my time as a teenager

i thought the Schmied (or better Smith) meant if you ask in german you will be not longer with us

It took me some seconds to realise the meaning too^^

[Aidan]

Oh gosh, this is awkward...

[Der Schmied von Kochel]

Oh gosh, this is awkward...

What exactly?